Sectional yielding door



Sept. 1, 1964 0. c. ECKEL .SECTIONAL YIELDING DOOR Filed Dec. 4, 1962 United States Patent 3,146,827 SECTIONAL YIELDING DOOR Oliver C. Eckel, Carlisle, Mass. (P.O. Box 226, Cambridge, Mass.) Filed Dec. 4, 1962, Ser. No. 242,276 2 Claims. (Cl. 160-354) This invention relates to a door so constructed that a portion of the body Will yield upon impact with a moving object such as a truck.

Reference is made to my pending patent application, Serial No. 236,081, filing date November 7, 1962, for a similar door structure.

One object of my invention is to form a swinging door in sections, including an inner untary section that forms a material part of the main door body, and having a yielding portion that will yield first to thereby absorb the initial shock from impact with a moving truck or the like before the whole door commences its opening movement.

Another object is to provide an inner body section that includes both the yielding portion and an integral attaching portion which latter does not yield upon said impact of a truck or the like with the door.

A further object is to provide such a door that is simple and economical to manufacture, the main body portion of which may be made of wood or other firm and relatvely inexpensive material, while a smaller body portion may be formed as a unitary member of resilient material that provides both a yielding portion and an attaching portion.

The foregoing and other objects which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, may be accomplished by a construction, combinaton and arrangement of parts such as is disclosed by the drawing. The nature of the invention is such as to render it susceptible to various changes and modifications, and, therefore, I am not to be limited to the construction disclosed by the drawing, nor to the particular parts described in the specification; but am entitled to all such changes therefrom as fall within the scope of my claims.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a door shown in position of use.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged, sectional view taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged, sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary, perspective view showing the inner body section of my door.

As iliustrated, my door may serve as a single door or as one part of a double door. It is attached to a door frame or jarnb 12. An outer section or portion 14 of the door body may be made of laminated wood or other firm material, and, as shown, in constitutes the principal part of said body. It is shown covered with a rubber sheet 16 that may be cemented thereto, and which desirably extends beyond to provide a soft nose 18. It is provided with a well known window 20.

An inner body section 22 is preferably formed of a single piece of resilient material such as rubber or rubber composition, and it forms part of the main door body. This section 22 has a yielding portion 24 that is solid except for a hole 26 that extends its full length.

Extending outwardly from said section 22 are two attaching members 28 and 30 that receive a portion of said 3,146,827. Patented Sept. 1, 1964 outer section 14 between them and through which staples 32a and 32b respectively pass and enter said outer door portion 14. Said attaching members 28 and 30 commence at points inset from the front and rear faces respectively of said yielding portion 14, thereby providing recesses 34a and 34b respectively. Said rubber cover 16 extends into recesses, being cemented to said attaching members 28 and 30 as shown in said FIGURE 3.

Said inner body section 22 has an inner or attaching portion 36 extending inwardly from said yielding portion 24 and which tapers in thickness inwardly. It has recesses 38a and 3811 similar to said recesses 34a and 34b. At the inner end of said attaching portion 36 a full length groove 40 is provided.

Mounting means for said door ncludes a pivot member 42, such as metal pipe that extends into said groove 40. Said pivot member movably extends into a lower hearing 44 set in said door frame 12 and into a well known cam bearing 46 attached to said door frame and having a cam follower 48 that rides on said cam hearing 46. A screw 50 extends through said follower 48 and said pivot member to hold them together.

An inner metal cover 52 extends into said recess 38a and on one face surface of said attaching portion 36 and partly around said pivot member 42. An outer metal cover 54 similarly extends on the opposite side of said portion 36. A countersunk bolt 56 extends through said metal covers 52 and 54, being held by a nut 58 that bears on a washer 60. Said metal covers 52 and 54 prevent distortion or any material yielding of said attaching portion 36.

When my door is struck, as by a moving truck, in opening it, said yielding portion 24 yields and becomes distortecl. It is capable of yielding, in two directions, depending upon whether the front or rear of the door is struck. One part of this portion 24 at said opening 26 stretches while another part opposite thereof is compressed. Said opening 26 should be sufliciently large to perrnit ample distorting movement. The result is that the concussion from the initial impact of a moving truck against my door is absorbed to a great extent by said yielding portion 24 before the door commences its opening movernent. Thus this yielding portion serves to absorb the most violent part of the initial impact before it is transmitted to the main body of the door 01 the said door frame 12.

What I claim is:

1. A door comprising an outer end section of nonresilient material and an inner end section of resilient material, said inner section embodying a yielding portion having an opening extending longitudinally therethrough, and an attaching portion continuously integral with said yielding portion and inwardly thereof, clamping means outside of and attached to said attaching portion at opposite sides thereof, and means to hold said clamping means and thereby firmly hold said attaching portion while permitting said yielding portion to yield upon concussion of the door, said opening being spaced from said outer section and from said attaching portion.

2. A door comprsing an outer end section of nonresilient material and an inner end section of resilient material, said inner section embodying a yielding portion having an opening extending longitudnally therethrough, and an attaching portion continuously integral with said yielding portion and inwardly thereof, two clamping mem- Refereuces Cited in the file of ths patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Ross Feb. 27, 1934 Eckel et al Aug. 28, 1956 McBerty June 11, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS Ita1y Mar. 16, 1957 

1. A DOOR COMPRISING AN OUTER END SECTION OF NONRESILIENT MATERIAL AND AN INNER END SECTION OF RESILIENT MATERIAL, SAID INNER SECTION EMBODYING A YIELDING PORTION HAVING AN OPENING EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY THERETHROUGH, AND AN ATTACHING PORTION CONTINUOUSLY INTEGRAL WITH SAID YIELDING PORTION AND INWARDLY THEREOF, CLAMPING MEANS OUTSIDE OF AND ATTACHED TO SAID ATTACHING PORTION AT OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF, AND MEANS TO HOLD SAID CLAMPING MEANS AND THEREBY FIRMLY HOLD SAID ATTACHING PORTION WHILE PERMITTING SAID YIELDING PORTION TO YIELD UPON CONCUSSION OF THE DOOR, SAID OPENING BEING SPACED FROM SAID OUTER SECTION AND FROM SAID ATTACHING PORTION. 